In western Colorado near Grand Junction there's a big chunk of land rising above the desert. Grand Mesa National Forest rises several thousand feet about the Grand Valley and is covered with pine forests, alpine lakes and trails. The forest has the Crags Crest National Scenic Trail, which is a 10 mile loop, by alpine lakes, through meadows and across a rocky ridge. It goes over a ridge call Crags Crest, the highest point in the Grand Mesa National Forest. I hiked it counter-clockwise starting from the Eggelston Lake trailhead on the east side, going up a steep climb to the ridge first. Before the ridge I passed by a couple of alpine lakes. Once on the ridge there were drop-offs on both sides, but the trail was wide and easy to hike. While on the ridge, you can see the many lakes that cover the mesa. There are few tree along most of the the ridge, so the views are great. After coming down the ridge, the trail heads back, through pine forests and meadows. In August there are lo...